Hat-frame machine.



A. FBINSTEIN.

HAT FRAME MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED HAR.30,1908.

937,296, Patented Oct. 19,1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM FEINSTEIN, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAT-FRAME MACHINE.

Application filed March 30,

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM FnINs'rEm, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Hat-Frame Machines, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like numerals 011 the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

My present invention is a machine for forming skeleton hat frames ofwire, the principal object thereof being to provide a machine in whichthe wires and knots of the hat body may be arranged vertically aboveeach other or if desired, obliquely, and in which, after the hat framehas been formed, the wires thereof may be quickly disengaged from themachine without disturbing their regular formation and shape.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional "iew showing the mainportions of the machine in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe machine.

011 a suitable standard 1 I mount a base 2 having a vertical post 3extending down into the standard 1 to turn freely therein excepting whenlocked by a clamp 4, the top of the standard being split at 5, at oneside, to permit of the immovable clamping of the post 3. On the base 2are mounted two narrow rims or flanges 6, 7, preferably curved as bestshown in Fig. 2, and pivoted on cars 8 at their opposite ends to thebase 2. At its middle each arched or curved flange 6, 7, is providedwith a hook 9. A chain 10 extends therefrom to a rod 11 to which it isrigidly soldered or otherwise secured beneath a head 12 thereof, saidrod extending downwardly and provided with a handle 13 so that byturning the rod 11 the chain may be wrapped around it and thereby tiltup the adjacent flange 6 or 7 on its pivots 8 for a purpose presently tobe described. Projecting from the flange 6 or 7 are radial arms 14,preferably removably screwed into the flange as indicated at 15. Saidarms have vertical holes 16 adapted to receive posts 17 verticallyadjustable therein by means of set screws 18 or any other suitablemeans, and on these posts are a plurality of wire holders herein shownin the form of ferrules or rings. I have herein shown two kinds of rings19, 20, adapted to be secured in desired adjustment by set screws orthumb screws 21. Each Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909. 1908. Serial No. 424,199.

ring 19 has a notch 21 for receiving a hat wire and the rings 20 have aplurality of notches 22, three thereof being herein shown. At the outerends of the arms 14 are preferably secured extensions 23 made adjustableand removable by threaded shoulders 24 and provided with holes 25 toreceive posts 26 similar to the posts 17. The successive holes 16 in thearms 1 1 correspond to the successive sizes of hats desired, and theextensions 23 are for receiving the rim wires of the largest sizes ofhats.

In use, when it is desired to make any given hat, the posts 17 are setin the corresponding holes 16 in all the arms, for the given size of hatand then the rings 19 are similarly adjusted on all of said posts to theheight and position of the wires which are to form the body of the hat.If it is to be a three-wire hat three of these rings are ad justed oneach post, whereas if it is to be a two-wire hat only two of them. Theresult is that the wires are exactly vertical over each other and cannotwell be otherwise, even though the operator is careless. If it isdesired to make a conical shaped hatbody, the rings 20 are distributedin the same manner and the operator places the top wire in the nearestnotch 22 and the next wire in the next outward notch and the bottom wirein the notch which is farthest outward, the result being that thearrangement is not only conical but is absolutely uniform entirelyaround the hat body. The rim is made in similar manner by placing theposts in those holes which correspond to the size and position which itis desired that the rim shall assume, and then adjusting the rings 19down level with the bottom rings of the posts, which have beenpositioned for forming the body of the hat. lVhen the wires have allbeen wound and tied or twisted in usual manner, the operator simplyturns the handles 13 slightly and thereby tips all the posts inwardly bythe tilting of the holding flanges 6, which are pivotally mounted on thebase 2, and this tilting or tipping instantly disengages or loosens allthe holding rings from the respective wires so that the hat frame can belifted at once from the machine. As the position of each post ispositively controlled by the vertical hole 16. or

as the case may be, all the posts are necessarily truly vertical. and asall the holes are at equi-distant points from the center of theapparatus, it follows that the hat frame must be uniform when the postshave all been put in position for any given size. The holes determinethe sizes of the hats and hence it is impossible to make a hat just alittle too large or just a little too small for any given size. Thereare no delicate parts and hence nothing liable to get out of order. Theentire machine is exceedingly simple and inexpensive.

Although I prefer the precise embodiment herein shown and described, itwill be understood that many changes and modifications may be made inthe specific construction of the various parts and in the generalcombination without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.A further advantage of my mechanism is that it can be set up for anygiven size of hat in much less time than the usual mechanisms commonlyin use.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is,

1. A machine for forming hat frames, comprising a base, oppositesupporting flanges pivoted respectively adjacent the opposite edges ofsaid base, radial arms projecting from said flanges, vertical post-ssupported by said arms, said arms containing means for restricting saidposts to truly vertical position, and horizontal adjustable endextensions mounted in the ends of said arms.

2. A machine for forming hat frames, comprising a base, supportingflanges movably mounted on said base, radial arms projecting from saidflanges, said arms containing vertical holes similarly spaced apartuniformly in all of said arms according to hat-sizes, vertical postsmounted in said holes and re stricted thereby to vertical adjustmentonly, clamping means for holding said posts in adjustment andwire-supporting means adjustable up and down on said posts, containing aplurality of Wire-holding grooves at varying distances from the centerof the machine.

3. A machine for forming hat frames, comprising a base, oppositesupporting flanges movably mounted on said base, radial arms projectingfrom said flanges, said arms containing vertical holes spaced apartaccording to the desired hat-sizes, upright posts adjustably mounted forvertical adjustment in said holes, wire sustaining devices movablymounted 011 said posts, flexible chain-like members connected to saidopposite supporting flanges and thence extending across toward theopposite side of the base, and pull ing means engaging the free ends ofsaid members for pulling them and thereby moving the supporting flangesand their arms and posts toward each other for disengagement from theframe wires.

4:. In a machine for forming hat frames, supporting means, radial armsextending therefrom, upright posts adjustably mounted in said arms, andwire supporting rings slidingly mounted on said posts, said rings havingat their outer sides a plurality of wire-holding grooves for holding thewires of the hat frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 4 name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABRAHAM FEINSTETN.

Witnesses M. J. SPALDING, GEO. H. MAXWELL.

